Where is F18 produced for use in medical imaging?

F-18, or fluorine-18, is a radioisotope commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging due to its favorable properties, such as a relatively short half-life and the ability to label glucose analogs like fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). The production of F-18 requires a cyclotron, which is a type of particle accelerator.

A cyclotron generates the necessary conditions for nuclear reactions to occur by accelerating particles to high energies. In the case of F-18, bombarding a stable target, such as oxygen-16, with protons leads to the creation of F-18 through a nuclear reaction. This process is specific to cyclotrons due to their design and functionality, enabling the direct production of radionuclides that are essential for diagnostic imaging.

While radiopharmaceutical labs and hospital pharmacies play crucial roles in the preparation, quality control, and dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals, they do not produce F-18. Instead, these facilities receive F-18 from cyclotrons for formulation into radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear reactors, on the other hand, are typically used for the production of other radionuclides, but F-18 production does not take place in reactors. This distinction highlights